


i’d stay for a long time

by LucreziaDormentaire



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Past Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-10 00:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16460018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucreziaDormentaire/pseuds/LucreziaDormentaire
Summary: Shiro whispers and raises his flesh hand. He’s hesitating at first, his hand hovers between them in the air for a solid few seconds, before he places it softly on Lance’s cheek, thumb brushing against soft skin. “You know, it’s thanks to you — all of you guys, that I managed to get through everything in space. And in here.”or— Shiro and Lance having a bonding moment after everything has settled down. post s7





	i’d stay for a long time

**Author's Note:**

> written on phone. all the mistakes are purely mine. i just want to do shiro justice... i love you my big space boo

“So. captain Takashi Shirogane, huh? that got a nice ring to it.”

Shiro looks up from the projects blueprint to find his fellow paladin leaning against the desk, arms folded and shoulders relaxed in a friendly manner.

“Oh. Hey, Lance.”

He hasn’t talked to Shiro ever since he got admitted to the hospital. Granted, he wanted to spend some time with his family, but it would be a lie to say that he doesn’t want to see Shiro in amidst all of that. In fact, once he was deemed healthy enough to go back to the Garrison, Shiro had been the foremost on his mind.

“Hey. how are you doing big guy?”

“Oh you know... just trying to cope with everything that had happened.” Shiro says, looking at the prosthetic arm while closing and opening his fist. Lance brings his attention to it also, squinting his eyes in fascination. slowly, he brings his hand to the eerie gap between Shiro’s shoulder and robotic forearm, swatting his hand at the air in a deliberate manner.

“Do you feel anything?” Lance asks.

Shiro sighs. “No, Lance. I don’t feel anything.”

“Whoa. So like, it just floats? like you can feel your arm there, but you can’t feel it? Like what if it suddenly itches or something?”

“I don’t think that’s gonna happen, no.” Shiro laughs, placing the prosthetic arm on his thigh and gesturing for Lance to sit down next to him. Lance bounces on his feet, immediately situating himself next to Shiro on the work bench.

“What!! now don’t tell me your Galra arm don’t ever itch because I bet it did!”

“Does the constant pain count as an itch?” Shiro says lightly, his grin toothy and all that, but the look of pure shock on Lance’s face wipes the smile on his face. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, dude, just wasn’t expecting that is all.” Lance nudges his shoulder and Shiro replies the sentiment, smiling back when Lance looks at him, his eyes growing soft. They look at each other for a while, lost in a weird trance that floats around them like a comforting blanket, before Shiro blinks his eyes and clears his throat, bringing his focus back to the blueprint and the engineers scampering around before them. Lance still watches him with great curiosity, noting the slow flutter of his lashes, the dark bags underneath his eyes, the sharp contour of his cheeks. Shiro is still as mesmerizing as the first time he saw in back in school, but now there’s something amiss. Like he’d lost a part of himself in the process of becoming better. Lance exhales through his nose. _Don’t_ _we_ _all_.

 

Licking his lips nervously and playing with his fingers, Lance opens his mouth with great hesitance.

“You... um. Got something you wanna talk about?”

Shiro finally brings his attention back at him, two thick eyebrows raised. “what do you mean?”

“I - i dont know, i just thought i’d say it, you know? i might get this wrong though so its probably just me, rambling-“ Lance begins, nervously rubbing on the inside of his arm. Shiro puts his flesh hand on top of Lance’s, squeezing for it to come to a stop.

“Lance... its okay.” he says quietly, that only the two of them could hear. Lance looks back at him, his eyes clouded and a little wet.

“Well its just that. We won, you know? We saved earth. we have two huge ass robots on our back, the entire universe fighting alongside us, and we’re finally back, Shiro. But you... you’ve been awfully quiet lately, like... you’re e not even there yet. and i’m sure i’m not the only one who noticed. something wrong, big guy?”

Shiro looks at him carefully with wide eyes, lips parted like he wanted to say something, but only chuckles instead.

“You know, lance... I think people gave you less credits than what you deserved.” he says, breaking into a soft smile that sets Lance’s heart aflutter. There’s a pause, where lance’s expression seems to froze as an apparent blush appears across his cheeks. but it disappears just as fast, replaced by a shaky grin underneath a cocky facade.

“Finally! someone who understands!” The cadet wheezes dramatically, his hand over his head. “But seriously. I might not be Keith, but I’m a good listener. And we’re family aren’t we? We gotta look out for each other.” says Lance, scratching his cheek sheepishly. Something changes in Shiro’s gaze at that, even though it’s not apparent, Lance can see the shift. Shiro braces his hands on either sides of him, straightens his posture and leans back.

“do you think i could start over?” Shiro says, so quiet Lance almost missed it.

“what are you talking about? we are starting over, aren’t we?”

“It’s different. I...” shiro looks away, unable to meet Lance’s pure, innocent eyes. Lance shifts closer, watching Shiro slowly becoming more and more guarded, before the painful realization dawns on him.

“is this about your... him..?”

shiro’s gaze is sad as he brings it back to lance’s concerned one. he smiles through it, a hollow, empty smile that promises nothing. of course lance knows what that smile means, he’s so used to it, it’s like second nature to him. it just never occurs to him that it would pain him greatly to see someone with that kind of expression on their face — to see his hero, the guy he fell in love with, with a deep, masked suffering. There’s a twist in his heart, the pain shoots through his entire being, settling uncomfortably in his palms.

“i...um” lance closes his mouth when he fails to get the words out, hands hovering awkwardly in the air before one settles on his nape, rubbing sheepishly. “i don’t think i’ve gotten around saying how sorry i am... about what happened. i can’t even imagine what you went through... and even after everything. i think the universe needs to give you a quiznaking break, man. its just not fair.”

shiro is still smiling, a little less sad, but lance can see the worry lines underneath his eyes. “we’re in a war. we both know the stakes.”

lance goes rigid for a second, inhaling sharply through gritted teeth. “I know the stakes! But when you — when you di —“ Lance snaps his mouth shut before exhaling quietly. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, no, it’s okay Lance.” Shiro whispers and raises his flesh hand. He’s hesitating at first, his hand just hovers between them in the air for a solid few seconds, before he places it softly on Lance’s cheek, thumb brushing against soft skin. “You know, it’s thanks to you — all of you guys, that I managed to get through everything in space. And in here.”

Lance draws back a little, not enough to break contact and not enough to hide the blooming redness spreading across his face. It’s so affectionate; Shiro is. He gets his heart going at an incredible rate, praying that it won’t be so audible, not with all the background noises.

“Uh,” he manages shakily, swallowing back whatever’s on the tip of his tongue. He’s here to ease Shiro from whatever it is that’s bothering him, damn it. _Don’t_ _ruin_ _it_ , _not_ _now_. _Shiro’s_ _still_ _grieving_.

“I... never thought i’d be back here, but when we were entering the atmosphere I was so lost in hope I didn’t even know what else I was feeling.”

He pulls his hand back, placing them down on the bench right between the two of them.

“I thought after everything is settled I could apologize, and then _we’d_ patch things up and catch up with everything... but then things fell apart in a blink of an eye and I... I wasn’t even given time to feel sad. I reminded myself that above all I am a soldier, and I vowed to keep everyone in the universe safe, and that thought grounded me. For a while.”

Lance’s gaze shifts to Shiro’s hand, holding back the urge to place his on top of it, to squeeze it never let go. Ever.

“Eventually, you know, the high is gone. And i’m just so... _angry_.” Shiro curled his hands into a fist, his whole body shaking lightly. “I’m angry at everyone, I’m angry at myself; I’m angry at the stupid universe who puts us through this. I’m angry I couldn’t even find a time to grief, because I don’t think I deserved to feel sad, not after what I put him through.” Shiro grounds his teeth together, brows furrowing in anger? suffering?

Lance doesn’t know, doesn’t care, he just doesn’t want Shiro to go through what he’s feeling at the moment.

“i thought i could handle this like an adult, you know? cause i am one. but i... i can’t.” Shiro finishes off with a self-deprecating laugh, so bitter it leaves a bad taste in Lance’s mouth, makes him nauseous. He rubs a hand over his eyes tiredly, and Lance leans in, inhaling deeply as he places a hand on Shiro’s shoulder.

“hey, come on, everyone is allowed to be sad and to mope around. it’s completely valid. i think being an adult means understanding that sometimes we gotta give ourselves a moment of vulnerability, you get me?? you can save the _entire_ _universe_ and still cry for your loss, Shiro. i won’t even look if you don’t want me to!! closing my eyes now!!” Lance says, and true to his words, he shuts his eyes closed. He has no idea what Shiro looks like right now. Is he being ridiculous? Is Shiro going to look at him? Or is he going to brush his attempt off, just like everybody else? Lance unconsciously closes his fingers into a fist, suddenly scared.

But then there’s hands on his neck, his cheeks, before Shiro is pulling him closer and hugging him tightly. His eyes snap open, but Shiro’s not there, Shiro’s burying his face on Lance’s neck and he’s okay with that, really. More than okay.

Lance brings his hand to the back of Shiro’s head, threading lightly at the short strain of hair on his nape.

“It’s okay, big guy. You’ve done your best. The universe has seen your effort and they’ll pay you back. Ten folds. I will make sure of it.” Lance murmurs comfortingly. “He must be one heck of a guy to be able to swoon the great captain shirogane off his feet, huh?”

Shiro smiles against his skin, and it sends a shiver down his spine. “You guys’d probably get along well.” He says as he pulls away. His eyes are glistening, a little wet. Lance is a little disappointed, but he smiles nevertheless.

“Tell me if I could be of any help, okay? Maybe I should invite you for dinner tonight? My mom completely adores you, she will be so quiznaking thrilled.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll tell you when my work’s ending.”

“Really?!” Lance can’t help the excitement that bubbles out of him, alright? He’s just a regular teenager with a crush.

“Yeah.” Shiro says, looking away to the hangar for a few ticks, before looking back at Lance. His eyes aren’t as cloudy anymore, instead it’s filled with hope, adoration . “And Lance?”

Lance is lost in those gray eyes, it’s like they’re pulling him. (but they always do, for a long time now)

Shiro clears his throat, a hint of blush on his cheeks.

“Would you be the one person... to help me move on and start over again?”


End file.
